5 


SBSSii 


DO 


rn-i  k 


DEATH  OK  JACKSON, 


H.  M.  THOJIPSO.N 


l 


• 


AUGUSTS 


ON  Alii  91'    stka;m     I 


— 


fSG^'"- 


THE  DEATH  OF  JACKSON. 

'  ! 
H    M     :  in >MP  '    ! 


Oh!  for  the  tuneful  lyre  of  him  who 

The  fallen  fortunes  of  oui  baplei    I 

Who  with  the  winged  Seraph  could  a 

To  Zion's  lofty  star-bespangled  dome. 

And  there  with  pen  inspired,  record  foi  to 

The  councils  of  Jehovah  and  the  £ 

Such  tribute  would  I  pay  to  Jackson's  nami 

As  would  befit  the  ardent,  lofty  theme. 

T'was  Spring  time,  and  on  Rappahannock 

Opposing  legions  with  their  glittering  arm 

Had  met  to  swell  the  angry  tide  that  flows 

To  Lethe's  banks  from  fair  Columbia's  strand 

Along  the  Northern  shore  extended  thousand 

Decked  in  war's  panoply  and  gay  attire. 

Befitting  liv'ry  of  a  tyrants  train. 

Stood  like  leashed  hounds  round  Freedom*:  cOVerl 

No  martial  ardor  there,  no  battle  light 

Shone  in  the  faces  of  that  brutal  throng 

But  sad  and  sullen  was  the  hireling  mien. 

And  mauy  a  check  was  blanched  with  craven  feai 

Oft  and  again  they'd  quailed  before  the  shock 

()\  Southern  patriots  fighting  for  their  soil. 

Once  more  the  palsied  slaves  were  urged  to 


H-r-VH&k 


/ 


treara,  which  Freedom's  champions  guarded  ; 
iy  crew  from  many  a  shamble./ 

Lured  by  instinctive  'jifefcandi hopes  ol'  spoil. 

Column  on  column  puss, the  rivers  bank. 
\iul  on  the  spanning  pontoon  roll  along 

The  black  mouthed  engines  of  revolting  war. 

Caisson  on  caisson  bears  its  sulphurous  load 

While  high  above  the  rattling  din  is  heard 

The  neigh  of  maddened  steed,  the  driver's  shout. 

The  wild  and  reckless  imprecation  of 

The  heaven-doomed,  heaven  defying  race. 

But  hark!  didst  hear  that  sound  of  muttered  thunder? 
Tvvas  but  the  echo  of  our  coursers'  tramp 
Upon  the  frail  and  sounding  bridge,'  says  one. 
( )r  at  the  most,  the  clouds  look  angry,  and 
The  passing  storm  will  soon  retire  abashed 
Before  the  deafening  roar  of  Northern  wrath. 
All,  vain  young  man  !'  an  aged  soldier  said, 
{ lad'st  thou  with  me  beheld  this  gloomy  stream 
A  few  short  months  ago,  dyed  with  the  blood 
Of  friend  and  brother  struggling  in  its  tide. 
[lad'st  thou  beheld  that  mighty  held  of  carnage. 
Around  fair  Kichmond's  oft  beleaguered  walls. 
Too  well  thou'dst  know  the  import:  of  that  soufl'd, 
Whose  dull  refrain  mayhap  ere  evening  full. 
Will  ring  thy  death  knell  in  still  louder  tones.' 
Nearer  and  nearer  still  rages  the   strife  ; 
Now  on  the  right  the  rifle  lends  its  din 
To  the  loud  camion's  guttural  chorus ; 
Wave  upou  wave  of  banded  warriors, 
Dimly. as  yet  through  war's  grand  canopy, 
Surmount  the  summit  of  yon  distant  knoll. 
Where  every  engine  of  destructive  force 


3 


Pours  forth  :i  torrent  ol  defiant  "wrath. 
]fow  gaunt  mid  grim  these  gallant  mi 
Xo  gaudy  trappings  mark  the  musketeer, 
Who  in  the  court  of  kings  on  marble  stalfo 

If  is  measured  stalely  course  of  pride. 

And  to  the  passing-  maid  or  matron  gravi 

peers  irTsolently  his  amorous  consequent 

Way-worn  and  haggard,  stained  with  battli 

The  gallant  garb  6f  grey  besoilcd  and  old 

Still  marks  the  cause  the  wearer  tovi 

Through  many  rt  rent  the  piercing  night  wind 

Chilly  and  damp  invade-  the  soldier's  limb'- 

Ah!  who  can  tell  how  many  briny  tear 

Plowed  from  the  eyes  of  far  off  loved  on 

As  the  busy  needle  plied  its  task  oi  lote 

And  fair  hands  labored  on  the  soldier's  garb 

Homely  it,  is,  lmt  ne'er  a  belted  knight 

Wore  on  his  coat  of  mail  a  pledge  moo  ,; 

In  scarf  or  gauntlet  of  some  courtly  dame 

These  ;ire  yo«r  soldier.'.  Ye  Confederate  Powei  i  ! 

Whose  martial  fame  lias  dirrtm'd  the  Bourbon  Hi v 

Mounted  on  high  above  the  far  tamed  I 

Which  imperial  Franec  carried  aloft 

O'er  conquered  nations  humbled  in  tin 

Ta 'en  from  the  Kov  ni  ftnglafld's  pride  and  e 

The  dewy  fresllliess  Of  ils  pa  t  renown, 

And  taught,  the  world  when  'iod  defend 

Me  arms  the  feeble  with- a  giant's  might 

Hie  struggle's  past  the  bristlin; 

Xow  down  the  slope  the  broken  routi  d 

In  hideous  ruin  rushes  Iowa  id    H 

While  tearing  through  hi    I 

The  anffry  missiles  cui  ?av 


d\d.iiCL9. 


Cheer  upon  cheer  now  rends  the  vaulted  air, 
And  '  Stonewall  conies !'  is  heard  along  the  line. 
And  '  Stonewall  conies  !'  is  borne  upon  the  breeze  ; 
While  from  the  gory  field  midst  death  and  pain, 
The  wounded  soldier  lifts  Ins  pallid  brow 
And,  to  the  joyful  strain,  responsive  cries, 
k  Our  Stonewall  comes!'  and  yields  his  latest  breath 
Xow  sinks  the  warrior  on  the  hard  won  field, 
And  midst  the  dire  companionship  of  death, 
Where  friend  and  foe  in  mangled  heaps  are  blent, 
He  woos  the  soft  and  balm^  hand  of  sleep  ; 
While  round  the  bivouac  the  nightly  guards 
In  many  a  circle  count  their  hair-breadth  'scapes ; 
Or  scan  the  morrow  with  prophetic  eye. 
Far  to  the  front  the  watchful  chief  repairs, 
Where  the  flushed  brow  of  battle  still  denotes 
The  sullen  vengeance  of  the  baffled  foe. 
Pensive  and  slow  the  patriot  warrior  rides 
Amid  the  lire  of  still  contending  lines  ; 
Where  from  his  covert  peeps  the  stealthy  scout. 
Or  watchful  picket  scans  the  skulking  foe. 
To-morrow's  sun  will  see  again  renewed 
The  horrid  harrowing  carnival  of  death. 
Sadly  he  views  the  wide  ensanguined  field 
While  deep  emotion  rends  his  manly  breast, 
And  thus  he  breathes  to  Heaven  this  secret  prayer 

•  God  of  Sabbaoth  !  let  this  warfare  end. 

'  The  sword  again  into  the  ploughshare  turn, 

'  And  let  the  Prince  of  Peace  once  more  dethrone 

'  Usurping  Moloch,  rampant  in  the  land. 

•  How  long,  oh  Lord !  shall  war's  imperious  law 
'  Forbid  th'  observance  of  thy  holy  day. 

'  And  impious  fury,  rapine  and  revenge 


£9  and  ilio  s 


1  Choke  human  progress  and  the  spread  of  grace. 
■Oli!  once  again  delight  thy  servant's  car 

•  With  the  sweet  music  of  the  Sabbath  bell. 
•Most  awful  thought !  to-morrow's  dawning  raj 

•  Which  saw  the  Son  from  Death  and  Nell  an 

•  With  Sin  in  captive  chains  triumphant  led, 

■  Shall  see  his  creatures,  ransomed  with  his  blood 

•  Deface  the  image  which  the  Father  gave. 

•  Father  of  mercies  !  spare  the  chastening  rod 

•  For  him  who  died,  for  him  who  pleads  above 
Thus  the  christian  soldier,  and  the  face 

Of  inward  joy  and  love  devinc  now  wear: 
The  sharp  quick  papg  of  nature's  agony  ; 
Unto  his  nearest  aid,  he  faintly  says, 

•  My  friend,  I'm  wounded,  help  me  to  dismount 
Slowly  they  bear  their  well  loved   fallen  chic! 
From  his  last  Held  of  never  dying  fame 

All  :ut  is  vain.     The  dying  hero  bow 

With  meek  submission  to  his  Maker's  will-- 

Breathes  forlh  a  prayer  and  heaves  his  lale-1  -i-Th 

Mow  ripe  in  glory!  yet  how  green  in  years  ! 

The  rich,  luxuriant  fruit  our  country  bore  ; 

Time's  envious  hand,  alas !  has  plucked  too  -.   ,i. 

And  garnered  in  the  storehouse  o|  our  grief. 

Ah  !  hoard  ye  the  wail  throughout  yon  bannered  lipat 

So  late  triumphant  o'er  their  country's  foe 

Xo  pcean  sounds  with  spirit-stirring  note 

IV)  nerve  the  warrior  for  the  deadly  bay. 

Hut  sad  and  solemn  Ix.tt-  the  muillcd  drum 

Tin'  gjOQfUY  legions  fi)e,  with  downeasl  eye 

Before  the  marble  form  in>w  cold  in  death, 

Whose  clarion  voice,  amidst  the  shod;  ot   wai 

Swelled  Southern  hearts  to  deeds  ot  high  reuowu. 


6 


And,  with  the  force  of  the  magician's  spell. 
Congealed  with  terror  cv'ry  Northern  foe. 
•Is  .taekson  dead?'  the  Southern  mother  said, 
And  to  her  heart  more  closely  clasped  her  child  ; 

•  Is  Jackson  gone?     Oh  God  !  it  cannot  be 

•  Our  country's  stay  thus  numbered  with  the  dead 
In  many  a  household  through  the  Sunny  South 

Is  heard  the  bitter  sob— the  cry  of  grief. 

The  earnest  sn^lication  for  support 

From  Him  who  gives,  from  ITim  who  take?'  away 

The  costly  mausoleum  may  ascend 

With  stately  pomp  in  many  lettered  praise,  *   • 

The  monumental  brass,  th'  impassive  marble 

And  the  plastic  mold,  may  each  in  turn 

Its  silent  tribute  pay  to  him  that's  gone. 

These  too,  with  servile  adulation,  have 

A  tyrant's  praises  blazoned  to  the  world, 

And  oft  have  lent  their  meretricious  aid 

To  snatch  the  fawning,  pliant  courtier's  name 

From  dark  oblivion's  unrelenting  hand. 

The  title  of  Time  may  backward  roll  its  waves 

Defacing  every  foot-print  of  our  race, 

Until  the  refluent  billow  is  received 

In  that  dark  gulf — primeval  chaos. 

From  whose  vasty  depths  creative  power 

Brought  forth  a  world  of  teeming,  living  things; 

But  while  a  leaf  of  human  record  stands, 

And  virtue  claims  the  tribute  of  a  tear. 

Amidst  the  wreck  of  Empires  and  of  States, 

Great  Jackson's  fame  shall  still  unceasing  glow. 

In  bright  refulgence,  to  its  noon-tide  blaze. 

Let  every  mother  in  our  sunny  land. 

Before  the  entrance  of  the  household  porch, 


7 

With  careful  hand,  the  gloomy  cldar  plant 
And  when  in  after  years;  with  curious  eye. 
The  now  unconscious  bate  shall  wondering  look 
ETpou  its  dark  umbrageous  foliage, 
And  ask  the  grey-haired  sire  with  lisping  tongue 
Why,  like  grim  sentinel,  it  sadly  tfandg 
As  if  to  guard  the  entrance  to  his  home. 
Tell  him  it  wears  the  livery  of  the  day 
Its  tender  roots  were  planted  in  the  soil. 
It  marks  the  year  of  mighty  Jackson's  fall. 
Who  backward  drove  the  surging  tide  of  wai 
And  from  the  ruthless  hand  ol  vandal  foe 
Rescued  the  home  that  guards  his  tender  yeai 
Teach  him  the  virtues  ol  that  -.vat.  good  man. 
His  &eIf-devotton  to  his  country's  cau 
And  from  the  lesson  inspiration  draw 
O'f  Virtue.  Honor,  Piety  and  Truth 

Shiloh  Academy, 

Barnwell  District,  So  Ca 


V 


